To Love Again
by Dasiygirl95
Summary: *Set before the movie* When twenty-three year old collage graduate, Abigail, gets a job as a live in nanny for Brendan Conlon, can she help him get over the death of his wife? Can she show him that its okay to love again? Brendan/OC
1. Bills And Interviews

**Hello ladies and gentlemen!**

**I got attacked with the bunny for this story a few nights ago, and with the help of my lovely, wonderful guru, Schuneko, I wrote this whole chapter in the course of a day…Which I'm quite proud of. :) **

**Enjoy! :D**

_We're not broken, just bent_

_And we can learn to love again…_

_-Just Give Me A Reason, P!nk_

**_WARRIOR_**

Running a hand over his dark red hair, Brendan Conlon let out a frustrated sigh as he read and reread the hospital bill lying on the desk he was hunched over. $450 for some blood work for Rosie…How was he supposed to afford that? Combined with all of the other bills he had to pay that month, he was barely getting by…

"God, Tess, I wish you were still here…" He whispered to himself, scrubbing a hand over his face, letting his blue eyes slip closed as images of his wife flashed behind his lids…

"_Bren! I'm getting ready to go!" Tess called as she slipped her coat onto her shoulders. Brendan walked out of the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her, dipping his head towards hers as he murmured…_

"_Not without a kiss your not." _

_Tess giggled against his lips as he dipped her, making over exaggerated kissing sounds as he did so. Standing her back on her feet, he planted one last kiss to her lips before letting her go. _

"_I'll be back late tonight, so don't wait up, ok?" She asked as she gathered the rest of her things and started out of the door. _

"_Be safe!" He called her to as she opened car door. _

"_Always am!" She called, blowing him a kiss before climbing into the car and backing out of the drive way. _

_That was the last time he ever saw her. _

_He was woken up at 3 AM that night by a phone call from the police. Tess had gotten into a car accident on her way home that night. She ran off of the road and over corrected, swerving into the on-coming lane and hitting a SUV head on. She was killed instantly…_

_That was two years ago. _

"Daddy?"

Opening his eyes and looking up, he caught sight of Emily standing in the doorway of his office, her dark red hair sticking up in all directions and a teddy bear clutched in her hand as she rubbed her right eye with the back of her hand.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" He smiled as he pushed himself out of the chair and walked over to her, scooping her up into his arms.

"I miss Mommy." Emily whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face against his shoulder. Rubbing her back with one of his hands, he laid his chin on top of her head, carrying her back to her room.

"So do I, sweetie, so do I."

Emily was four when the accident happened, and she still remembers her mother…Unlike Rosie, who only remembers bits and pieces. Brendan can't blame her, she was only two when it happened, and no one expects her to remember much, it would only hurt her more if she did.

Pushing the door open to the room Emily and Rosie shared, Brendan walked over to the empty bed and gently laid his oldest daughter down, tucking the comforter in around her body. Smoothing her hair back from her face, he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you Daddy."

Hearing that always made him smile and warmed his heart to no end. "I love you too baby girl." He murmured, kissing her forehead one more time before he made sure she was set for the night. "Get some sleep sweetheart."

"Goodnight Daddy." Emily whispered, careful not to wake her little sister, who was sleeping in the bed to her right.

"Goodnight sweetie." He smiled, softly shutting the door behind him. Leaning against the wall beside the door, he swiped a hand across his face, silently praying to God to give him a break, just for once in his entire life…

…

"I think you should hire a nanny."

Brendan stopped mid way through a bite of green beans, and raised an eye brow at his Mother In-Law…former Mother In-Law? Were they still considered In-Law's if the person connecting you to them was dead? Mentally shaking himself, he got his thoughts back on track…

"What?"

"I think you should hire a nanny. You're going to need someone to watch the girls when school starts up." She explained, taking a small sip from her wine glass.

"Look, Mrs. Parker-" He began, only to be cut off three words in…

"Karen."

"Karen." He nodded before carrying on. "Look, as good as an idea that is…There's no way I could afford that. With all of Rosie's medical bills and all of the other bills…It's just not in the cards."

"We could pay for it!" Karen quickly jumped in, sitting her wine glass down beside her plate before looking to her husband, Daniel. "Right honey?"

"Of course. Anything to make sure the girls are well taken care of while you're working." He replied, sending Brendan a smile. Daniel had a small idea of how hard it had been for Brendan since Tess's death, and if a nanny would help take some of the stress off of his shoulders, then he would pay for one.

"I...I don't know what to say." Brendan murmured. He hated taking handouts, but, when it came to the girls, he wanted what was best for them…And, having someone to help out with them while he was working would take a huge weight off of his shoulders…

"Just say yes, Brendan." Karen urged. Brendan let out a laugh and nodded his head.

"Yeah, yeah, let's do it."

_**WARRIOR**_

After hours of scouring the web for a new job, Abigail was about to give up and call it a day when a job listing caught her eye…

_Live in nanny need for two children, ages four and six…Six year old is in school…Four year old goes to pre-school…Contact Brendan Conlon for more info…Hm, sounds like a possibility..._Abigail mused to herself, grabbing a pencil and a sticky note from her desk and jotting down the phone number included at the bottom of the listing.

Picking up her cell phone from its spot next to her laptop, she typed in the number and nervously fiddled with the pencil as the phone rang.

"_Hello?_" A thickly accented, masculine voice answered, making her jump and drop her pencil.

Bending down under the desk and grabbing the offending object, she whacked her head on the underside of the desk as she got up. "Shit!"

"_Hello?_"

"Hello, uh, my name is Abigail Bryan, and I saw your job listing for a nanny, and I'm very interested, uh, if the position is still available, of course…"

"_Yeah, it's still available…Uh…Is tomorrow good for an interview?_"

"Yes! Tomorrow's perfect." She confirmed, a wide grin stretching across her lips. _Finally! Someone actually wants to interview me, as apposed to putting in applications and hearing nothing back…_

After scribbling down the address she was given, Abigail said her goodbyes before ending the call. Gently placing down her phone, she bit her lip before letting out a high pitched squeal, raising her arms above her head.

"I got an interview!"

…

The next morning found Abigail sitting in driveway outside of her potential home, nervousness swiping through her as she thought about what was to come. Smoothing down her dark brunette hair, Abigail took a deep breath, looking at herself in the rearview mirror.

"You can do this. It's just an interview. You've done this before. It'll be fine. You can do it."

Putting her purse strap over her shoulder, she opened the car door and confidently walking to the front door. Reaching out to press the door bell, she hesitated, feeling nausea settle in the pit of her gut. Swallowing thickly, she pressed the door bell, taking a few deep breaths as she waited.

A few seconds later, the door swing open, revealing a rather attractive man who looked to be in his last twenties-early thirties. The first thing Abigail noticed about him was his eyes…They were the brightest shade of blue, and the most beautiful, she had ever seen…He was also very muscular, not overly so, but, enough for her to tell he could give you a good beating if he wanted too…

"Can I help you?"

_Oh lord…_

"Hi, I'm Abigail; I'm here for a job interview." She smiled, holding out to hand.

"Oh, right, the interview. I'm Brendan." He greeted, reaching out and taking her hand in a firm grip, not firm enough to hurt her, just enough to be somewhat professional, giving it a shake before releasing her. "Come on in." He said, motioning into the house with a tilt of his head.

Abigail followed him into the house, nervously twining her fingers together in front of her as he lead her to the living room, waving his hand to a comfy looking, deep brown, couch.

"Have a seat. Uh, would you like anything to drink? Water, juice, coffee?"

"Um, water's fine. Thanks." She replied, sitting down on the couch and tucking her purses beside her hip.

"No problem, make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back."

Running a hand through her long locks, she looked around the living room. The room looked cozy, and lived in…blankets folded over the back of the couch…picture frames on the wall…there were a few dolls sitting on one of the recliners, which made her smile. She loved playing with dolls when she was little. As she was taking in her surroundings, Brendan had returned with a glass of water.

"Here you go."

"Oh, thank you." She smiled, taking the glass of water from him and taking a sip before sitting it on the coffee table.

"You're welcome." He assured, taking a seat in the chair across from her. "So, uh, I guess I'm supposed to ask you some questions, right? That's how these things normally go?"

"Yeah, normally." She laughed, picking up her glass of water and taking another sip.

"Alright." He chuckled, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "How about you tell a bit about yourself, and we'll go from there?"

"Okay. Well, um, I'm Twenty-Three; I'm originally from Virginia, I just graduated from University of Philadelphia in June." She began, taking a sip of water before continuing. "And, I've worked at a daycare in the past, plus, I've babysat for my cousins, so I have some experience with children."

"What made you move here? If you don't mind me asking…" He trailed off, hoping he hadn't over stepped any boundaries.

"I just needed a change of scenery, I got accepted to the University, and so I moved." She answered, shrugging one of her shoulders.

"And you're staying in Philly? Willingly?" Brendan joked, causing her to laugh.

"Daddy! Emily's being a meanie!" A little girl with blond curls came running into the room, heading full speed for Brendan while another girl came running after her. The blond jumped into her Father's lap, curling her arms around his neck as she stuck her tongue out at her sister.

"Emily, what happened?" Brendan asked, raising an eye brow at who Abigail assumed was the older of the two. Emily looked down at the floor, sweeping her foot back and forth across the rug as she mumbled something neither of the two adults could make out. "Emily."

"I pulled her hair."

Brendan sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose as he leaned his head against the back of the chair. "Rosie, honey, why don't you go play? I need to have a talk with your sister."

Rosie shook her head, murmuring a quiet "No." as she clung to her Father's neck.

Both of the girls were incredibly beautiful. Emily had hair the same color as her Father's and blue eyes, not the same shade as Brendan's, but a deeper, darker blue; Abigail guessed that her eyes were the same color as her Mother's. Rosie had the same eyes as her Father, and her blond corkscrew curls hung around her face.

"Rosie-"

"Why don't you show me your toys? I'd love to play with you." Abigail spoke up, offering the little girl a kind smile. Rosie studied Abigail for a few moments, sizing her up, trying to decide if the woman looked like a potential playmate or not.

"Can I Daddy?" Rosie asked, looking to Brendan for permission, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

"Sure, go ahead."

Rosie grinned, giving him a kiss on the cheek before hopping down from his lap and walking over to the woman. "Come on! I'll show you all of my Barbie's! I got them for my birthday!" She babbled excitedly, grabbing Abigail's hand and leading her off to her bedroom.

_**WARRIOR**_

"Daddy, when's Abigail gonna come back? She's fun." Rosie asked him as he tucked her into bed that night.

"You liked her, huh?" He smiled, pulling the blankets up over her and tucking them around her.

"Yeah! And she likes to play with Barbie's! And she knows to braid hair! Daddy, why can't you braid hair?"

Brendan chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Because Daddy's a boy, baby, and we don't know how to braid hair."

"Boy's are icky." Rosie proclaimed, scrunching up her nose in disgust. Brendan laughed, kissing her on the forehead again before moving over to Emily's bed.

"Except Daddy! He's not icky, and he's a boy." Emily pointed out; Rosie nodded in agreement with her older sister. "Daddy, is Abigail gonna come back?"

"Well, she might, if you don't mind her watching you while Daddy's at work during the day."

"Yes! Oh Daddy, can she? Can she? Pleeeaaaasse?!" Rosie squealed, climbing out of her bed and jumping onto Emily's, putting her hands together and pouting, her older sister joining in moment's later, making Brendan laugh.

"Yeah, I'll call her tomorrow." He nodded, chuckling when they both jumped at him, wrapping their arms around his neck and kissing his cheeks. Pressing kisses to both of their cheeks, he unwrapped their little arms from his neck. "Ok, ok, time for bed."

"But Daddy!" Rosie whined, giving him her best pouty-face, quivering her bottom lip and widening her eyes for affect.

"Bed time." Brendan stated, scooping Rosie up and depositing her on her bed, tucking her in once more before kissing her on the forehead. Moving over to Emily's bed, he repeated the process before heading to the door. "Goodnight girls."

"Goodnight Daddy."

Brendan smiled to himself as he pulled the door shut, leaving a gap between the door and the frame, letting a stream of light into the room, so they weren't in the pitch black. Running a hand through his hair, he headed down the hall to his office, intent on finding Abigail's phone number, hoping it wasn't too late to call.

He couldn't believe he found a nanny already. It'd only been a week since Karen had put that listing up for him. He had to admit, he was a little skeptical about having a live-in nanny, but, Karen insisted it would be the better option, since he worked a second job at night, and the nanny would have to stay with the girls anyway.

And Abigail seemed like the perfect fit. She had a great personality, she was smart, the girl's loved her already, and...She was incredibly gorgeous.

_What the hell is wrong with you? _He mentally smacked himself. He shouldn't think that about her. He barely knew her, and she was almost seven years younger than him. And…He wasn't over Tess. No where near over her. And he didn't know if he ever would be…

Swiping a hand over his face, Brendan stopped in the doorway of the office, internally debating with himself over finding Abigail's phone number and calling her, or going to bed and avoiding it until morning.

Letting out a deep sigh, he flipped the light on, and moved into the room, picking up the phone and scrolling through the recent in-coming calls until he found the number he was looking for. Hovering his thumb over the call button, the Irish man took a deep breath before pressing the button, raising the phone to his ear and listening to it ring.

"_Hello?_"

"Hey, Abigail, it's, uh, Brendan Conlon? I interviewed you earlier today? For the babysitting position?" Brendan awkwardly announced, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"_Yeah, I remember…What can I do for you Mr. Conlon?_" She asked politely, a hint of amusement in her voice. Brendan felt his face turn red in embarrassment.

"Well, I wanted to call you and tell you, you got the job…I-if you're still interested!" He stammered, clearing his throat nervously.

"_Yeah! I'm definitely still interested!_"

"Great! Can you start Monday?"

"_Yeah, that's perfect!_" She bubbled excitedly, making Brendan smile. Her enthusiasm was contagious, and he felt excitement swell up inside of him. It'd be great to have someone to talk that was over the age of six. As much as he loved Emily and Rosie, he needed some adult conversation for once.

"I'll see you Monday?" He grinned, waiting for her confirmation before saying his goodbyes and ending the call. Sitting the phone down in its cradle, he felt all of his excitement leave his body as he sat down in his desk chair, his eyes landing on the stack of bills resting next to his keyboard that he had yet to pay.

As much as Brendan regretted his In-Law's paying for him to hire a nanny for the girls, he was grateful, though, that they were. It would take a load off of his shoulders to know that someone would be taking care of them while he was working.

Letting out a sigh, the Irish man grabbed the stack of bills, pulling them towards him as he began to sort through them. He needed to figure out someway to make some extra money, between teaching, and nightshift as a bouncer at the karaoke bar downtown; he just wasn't making ends meet.

_I'll figure something out. I always do…_

**So, what did you guys think? I hope you liked it! I'd love it if you guys would take the time to leave your thoughts in a review. (Seriously, I'm addicted to them. They make me smile so much.) **

**Until next time! **

**~Dasiygirl95**


	2. First Day On The Job

**Thank you guys so much for the reviews, follows, and faves! :D **

**And Nina1008, you are completely right! It is time Brendan got some love! ;) **

**Super duper thanks to Schuneko for the help on this one, your awesome my dear guru :)**

**Enjoy!**

_**WARRIOR**_

_I miss the years that were erased _

_I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face _

_I miss all the little things _

_I never thought that they'd mean everything to me _

_Yeah I miss you _

_And I wish you were here_

_-From Where You Are, Lifehouse_

_**WARRIOR**_

"Hold up, your moving in with _who_?!"

Abigail rolled her hazel eyes at her friend, and roommate, as she folded up her clothes, packing them into the suitcase lying on the end of her bed.

"Brendan Conlon." She repeated, shaking her head at her friend when she let out a high shriek. "Jennifer, god, stop it."

"Abs, seriously, do you not realize what a totally hottie he is?! I mean, you've seen him right? You had an interview with him; did you keep your eyes shut the whole time?" The blond babbled, excitedly bouncing in the rolling chair Abigail kept by her desk.

"How do _you _know what he looks like?" She asked, arching an eye brow at the other woman.

"My sister's in his Physics class…She took a picture of him with her phone. Seriously Abs, he's drool worthy."

"Remind me why I'm friends with you again?" She joked as she pulled open one of her dresser drawers and started emptying it until the suitcase.

"Because you would be a boring, lonely, sad, pathetic dog lady without me." Jennifer stated, flipping her long, platinum hair over her shoulder.

"Right, thanks for reminding me." She snorted, throwing a t-shirt at her friend's face, smirking when it hit its intending target, and then ducking when Jennifer threw the shirt back at her in retaliation.

"So, are you gonna bang him or what?"

"Jen!"

"What?!" The blond laughed, earning herself a death glare from Abigail as she folded up a pair of shorts and shoved them into the suitcase.

"I am _not _going to 'bang' him."

"Why not?! He's sexy!"

"He's my boss!" Abigail exclaimed, this time lobbing her pillow at the blond, and laughing when it hit her target and flopped onto the floor.

"Your no fun, you know that?" Jennifer said, crossing her arms and pouting. Abigail rolled her eyes, moving back over to her dresser to get another arm load of clothing.

"Oh yes, I won't sleep with my boss, I'm definitely no fun."

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't think I do." She laughed, shaking her head as she finished packing the clothes from her dresser into her suitcase. "Are you hungry? I need to take a break from this before I go crazy." She said, gesturing around her bedroom. She had been packing ever since she got the call from Brendan, but, it looked like she hadn't even made a dent.

"Yeah, I could eat." Jennifer agreed, pushing herself out of the chair and grabbing her purse. "Pizza?"

…

"Well, that's the last box." Abigail announced, shutting the trunk of her Ford Focus, wiping her hands on the legs of her shorts as she turned around to face Jennifer. Seeing the unshed tears swimming in her friend's eyes, she moved forward to hug her. "Oh Jen."

"I'm going to miss you!" The blond sniffled, her shoulders shaking as she cried into Abigail's shoulder.

"It's not like your not going to see me anymore, birdbrain." She joked, trying to cheer the other girl up. Abigail hated seeing her friend upset, but, she knew she'd be ok; crying was just how Jennifer dealt with anything new.

"It won't be the same." She sniffed, pulling back to scrub at her brown eyes with the back of her hand. "God, I'm going to look like such a blowfish when Aaron comes over." She added, bending down to look at her reflection in the side view mirror of the car.

Abigail laughed, leaning back against the passenger's side door. Looking at the house she shared with Jennifer, she felt a sense of contentment wash over her. As much as she was going to miss living with her best friend, after walking in on her and her boyfriend rolling around naked on couch, once than once, she was ready to get out on her own…And, ok, she wouldn't be completely on her own, since she was living with a man and his two daughters...But, Abigail felt more independent already.

Just the idea of living somewhere new, with a new job, gave her a sense of confidence she wouldn't normally have. It helped that Emily and Rosie were so well behaved. If they were anything but, Abigail knew she wouldn't have been able to accept Brendan's job offer.

"Well, Abs, I guess this is it, huh?" Jennifer sighed, standing from her pervious position bent in front of the mirror, bringing Abigail back to the present.

Darting her tongue out to wet her lips, the brunette nodded, pressing her lips into a thin line as a sudden pang of unexpected sadness settled in her gut. "Yeah, it is."

"Well, call me when you have a free day, we'll hang out, ok?" Jennifer smiled, pulling Abigail into a bone crushing hug. "I love ya girly."

"I love you too Jen." Abigail said, squeezing the other woman just as hard as the squeeze she had received.

"Now, go get laid!" Jennifer laughed, pulling away from the brunette and giving her a small shove towards the car door.

"Jennifer!"

_**WARRIOR**_

"Daddy! Daddy! Abigail's here!" Emily squealed, running over to Brendan and jumping up and down. "I saw her get out of the car! She's here!"

"Ok, ok, calm down." Brendan chuckled, smoothing his hand over her dark hair as he made his way to the door, opening it right as Abigail was raising her hand to knock.

"Oh god!" She exclaimed, placing a hand over her heart, letting out a surprised laugh. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry, are you ok?" He asked, holding in a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't expect you to open the door." She waved him off, reaching up to adjust the strap of the black duffle bag on her shoulder.

"Let me take that for you." Brendan smiled, reaching out to take the bag from her, receiving a grateful smile in return.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Come on in." He said, waving her into the house. "Is this everything?" He asked, nodding to the suitcase she was roll in the door behind her.

"Oh, um, no actually…I have more stuff in the car." She blushed. Brendan couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked. Her fair complexion stained dark pink, and her hazel eyes shining in the light of the foyer. Her hair fell down her back in loose, soft waves, and Brendan caught a brief whiff of her shampoo as she reached up to tuck a strand of brunette hair behind her ear.

"Abigail!" Emily squealed, bouncing towards Abigail with her arms outstretched, wrapping her arms around her waist as soon as she was close enough.

"Hi, Emily." The woman grinned, bending down to return the hug as Rosie came running over, her arms held wide open, ready to grab the woman in a hug. "Rosie!" Abigail beamed; hold out one of her arms and pulling the other girl into the hug, making Rosie giggle happily.

"Girls, why don't you show Abigail where her room is?" Brendan suggested, chuckling when Emily starts bouncing in place.

"I'll show you! I'll show you!" Emily insisted, letting go of Abigail's waist and grabbing her hand. "Come on Rosie!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Rosie said, grabbing Abigail's other hand and helping her sister lead the older woman down the hall towards their room. Abigail threw Brendan a wide grin over her shoulder as the girls lead her away, and he swore his heart involuntarily skipped a beat.

…

Brendan was in his office grading papers from his last summer school class when he heard a tentative knock on the door frame. Looking up he saw Abigail standing in the doorway, wringing her hands together in front of her.

"Hey, come on in."

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" She asked hesitating in the door way before moving into the room, her fingers lacing, and unlacing together nervously.

"Oh, no, of course not. What's up?"

"I hate to bother you, 'cause I'm sure you're busy, but…would you mind helping me bring in the rest of my stuff from the car?" She requested. A soft smile spread across his lips.

"Yeah, of course." He insisted, neatly stacking the papers into pile and standing up from his chair. "Lead the way."

…

"Girls! Come tell me goodbye!" Brendan called as he raised his knee up to his chest so he could reach his shoe laces. He smiled to himself when he heard two pairs of feet running down the hall towards the foyer. Letting his foot drop from the edge of the bench to the floor, he stood up, bracing himself for the two small bodies heading full force for his legs. "Whoa!" He chuckled, stumbling a bit before leaning down and scooping them up.

"Do you have to go Daddy?" Rosie asked quietly, laying her head on his shoulder and playing with the collar of his shirt.

"Yeah, I have to go. But, you get to play with Abigail, and I'll be back when you wake up in the morning." He said reassuringly, pressing a kiss to her cheek, turning his head to place one on Emily's cheek as well. "I love you sweetheart."

"I love you too Daddy."

"And I love you too my little Rose." He smiled, kissing Rosie's cheek once more before bending to sit them down. "Now, you two be good for Abigail, alright?"

Both girls nodded their head, each mumbling a quiet "Yes Daddy." under their breath. Emily looked up from her feet, a grin spreading across her face when Abigail joined them in the foyer.

"I'm sure we'll be just fine, right girls?" She smiled, gently ruffling Rosie's curls, making the little girl giggle and nod. "See? We'll be alright."

"Alright. Well, I gotta head out. I probably won't be back until after three, or four in the morning, so, just lock the front door, I have a key…Um…If you could give them a bath before bed, I'd really appreciate it."

"Don't worry, I got it covered." She assured him, impulsively reaching out to squeeze his bicep. Looking down, she realized what she had done and quickly dropped her hand to her side, a deep flush spreading across her cheeks. Brendan smiled at her embarrassment, he thought it was adorable.

_Stop. It. _

"Alright, well, I gotta go." He sighed, bending down to kiss Rosie and Emily's cheeks again before grabbing his jacket and opening the door. "Bye girls."

"Bye Daddy!" They waved, waiting at the door until they couldn't see the taillights of the car anymore.

…

Pulling into the brightly light parking lot and parking; Brendan let the car idle as he leaned forward and rested his forehead against the steering wheel.

Did he really want to do this? Did he _really_ want to get back in the cage…ring…and fight?

No, he didn't.

But he needed too. He needed the money, so badly. He needed to do it for the girls. He wanted them to have a better life than he ever had…and if this was what he had to do to insure that, then he would do it.

_**WARRIOR**_

Abigail let out a content sigh as she sat down on the couch in the living room. She had just finished tucking the girls in for the night, and was going to relax in front of the TV before heading to bed herself.

Abigail brought her right hand up to knead the tense muscles of her left shoulder as she flipped thought the channels. "Oh, Lord Of The Rings!" She blurted excitedly, dropping the TV remote onto the couch next to her and settling in to watch the film.

…

"Abigail…Abigail, wake uuuup!" Rosie whispered, poking the brunette's cheek gently.

Blinking her eyes open, Abigail sat up slightly and took in her surroundings. _I must have fallen asleep on the couch, _She thought as she rubbed her eyes.

"Abigail, can you make us some breakfast? We're hungry, and Daddy's sleeping." Emily explained.

"Yeah, yeah, of course honey." Abigail yawned, standing up from couch and stretching. "Alright, to the kitchen!" She exclaimed, careful not to be too loud since Brendan was sleeping. Reaching down, Abigail picked Rosie up, settling her weight on her hip, and carried her into the kitchen. "Ok girls…What do you want to eat?"

"Do you know how to make pancakes?!" Emily asked, her eyes growing wide with excitement and a grin forming on her face when Abigail confirmed her knowledge of pancake making.

"What kind do you two want? Plain, chocolate chip, blueberry, banana…"

"Chocolate chip!" Rosie chirped excitedly. Abigail smiled, walking over to the counter and sitting Rosie on one of the bar stools before going about collecting everything she would need to make them.

"Chocolate chip it is!"

…

"Hi Daddy!" Rosie bubbled, waving at her Father when he walked into the kitchen. Abigail looked from the frying pan she was using to make pancakes and sent him a smile, nodding her head to the coffee pot.

"I made coffee."

"Oh man, thank you so much." Brendan sighed gratefully, giving her a smile of his own as he opened the cupboard and removed a mug, filling it with the dark liquid, adding a little cream and sugar before taking a sip.

"You look exhausted." Abigail observed; her voice laced with concern. She eyed the dark circles under his bright blue eyes as he took another sip of his coffee. He looked like he only slept a few hours.

"I'll be ok." He assured her, walking over to the table and pressing kisses to Emily and Rosie's foreheads. "What'dya got there? Those look good."

"Chocolate chip pancakes, do you want some?" Abigail offered, nodding to a plate where a stack of perfectly shaped pancakes laid.

"That sounds great." He smiled, coming over and picking up the plate, pouring some syrup over them before grabbing a fork and walking back over the table to sit down.

Abigail smiled when she saw him set down next to the girls. He was a great Dad. She'd only known him for a day, and she could already tell. He was so gentle and loving with them, and Abigail really admired that about him…And she couldn't help but find herself, some what attracted to him. He was a very good looking man. His bright blue eyes, his gorgeous smile, his muscles, and what she had seen from his personality; it just made her attraction to him grow…Which shocked her slightly.

Abigail wasn't one to become attracted to guys so quickly. And she definitely wasn't one to want to act on it, if she was attracted to someone…But, there was something different about Brendan…She knows she barely knew him, but, she couldn't help but hope for the opportunity to get to know him better.

And that scared her a little.

_**WARRIOR**_

**I hope you guys enjoyed it! Please, please, please leave your thoughts in a review, I'd really appreciate it. :) **

**See you next time! **

**~Dasiygirl95**


	3. Bringing Up The Past

**Thank you to Mrs. JohnReese and Schuneko for the reviews! I love you girls a ton :D**

**And, a special thank you to Schuneko for being my awesome guru, and my beta. Seriously girl, you're awesome :) **

**Enjoy!**

_**WARRIOR**_

_I know the memories are rushing into mind_

_I wanna kiss your scars tonight, baby_

_'Cause you gotta try_

_You gotta let me in_

_Let me in_

_-Heartbeat, The Fray_

_**WARRIOR**_

It had been two weeks since Brendan hired Abigail, and they had been slowly getting to know each other when they had time…He still hadn't told her about his family…the abuse…Tommy…Pop…his Mother Stephanie…Tess…They were all still sore subjects for him.

He was also planning on fighting again Friday night, which he also hadn't told her about. He was able to pay a few of the bills with the money he won from the fight a few weeks ago, but he needed more. He knew he needed to tell her about it, for the girl's sake, in case he came home with a black eye…Or, he didn't come home at all.

Brendan let out a heavy sigh, dropping his head in his hands, feeling his temples throb with the promise of an impending headache. All of the stress was starting to weigh on him. Between losing Tess, having to take a second job, Rosie's heart condition, all of the other bills…The emptiness of being alone…It was all getting to be too much.

"Brendan?" Abigail knocked on the door frame of his office, a concerned look falling on her face when she saw him. "Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, moving over to his desk and laying a hand on his shoulder.

"It's nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing…" She observed, gently squeezing his shoulder. "You can tell me, you know?"

"I'm just tired. Girls woke me up early this morning." He said. It was only half a lie. The girls did wake him up early that morning, and he was tired. But that wasn't all of it, and he suspected she knew that.

Abigail gave his shoulder one last squeeze before dropping her hand to her side. "You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He assured her, a small smile on his lips. Abigail smiled back, a light flush spreading her cheek bones when she realized how close to him she was standing.

"Well, uh, I was going to take the girls to the park, Emily's been talking about it all day." She said awkwardly, tucking a loose strand of brunette hair behind her ear as she started backing towards the door. "I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, see you later." He chuckled, trying to control his grin when she almost ran into the door on her way out.

The more time Brendan spent with the brunette, the more he found out about her. The more he got to see her interact with the girls…the more he found himself becoming increasingly attracted to her…And it scared the hell out of him.

The only person he'd even been in love with was gone…Was he even capable of loving someone else? Would Tess want him to move on and find someone new…Someone to be happy with again?

Brendan hoped she would…God, he hoped she would.

…

"Daddy? What does sexy mean?" Emily asked at dinner as she attempted to spear a pea with her fork. Brendan nearly choked on the piece of baked chicken he had just put into his mouth.

"W-where did you hear that word?!" He sputtered, taking the glass of water Abigail had nudge toward him and drinking half of the glass in one gulp.

"I heard Julie's Mommy tell Danny's Mommy that she thinks you're sexy." Emily shrugged, finally succeeding in stabbing a single pea and popping it into her mouth. Abigail raised her hand to her mouth to smother the giggle bubbling up in her throat as the Irish man's face turned bright red. "What does it mean?"

"Uh…Honey, it, um…It's a very bad word, ok? I don't ever want to hear you say it again, alright?" Brendan explained slowly, clearing his throat and sending Abigail a disapproving look when she was unable to stifle a laugh.

"Am I in trouble?" Emily asked in a small voice, looking up at her Father with wide, deep blue eyes.

"No, sweetie, just don't say that word anymore, ok?"

"Ok." Emily mumbled, taking another bite of her peas, watching her Father closely to make sure he wasn't mad at her.

"Rosie, why don't you tell your Daddy what you saw at the park today?" Abigail suggested, reaching over and wiping the corner of the little girl's mouth with a napkin, removing the smear of BQQ sauce from her face. Brendan smiled as he watched her baby his youngest.

She'll make a great Mother, He thought to himself, half paying attention as Rosie babbled about the dog she got to pet at the park.

Abigail felt his eyes on her and looked up from her plate, catching and holding his gaze. A shy smile stretched across his lips, slightly embarrassed at being caught, but that all kind of faded away when she returned the gesture.

"And then it licked my face!" Rosie exclaimed with a giggle, breaking both adults out of the daze they had fallen into.

Abigail's face flushed when she realized how long she had been looking at the Irish man, and Brendan found his thoughts taking a rather unexpected turn…his imagination conjuring up images of her splayed out on his bed, panting and flushed underneath him…

_God, what are you, a horny teenage boy? Get it together Brendan…_

_**WARRIOR**_

Abigail pulled up in front of Emily's school the next afternoon to pick her up; she had already gone to the pre-school and gotten Rosie, who was now napping in her car seat. Leaving the car on, the brunette got out of the car and leaned against the hood, waiting for the bell signaling the end of the school day to ring.

Abigail glanced down at her watch, noting the time. She'd have to start dinner when she got home if she had any hope of getting Brendan to eat before he had to leave for work again. He was working himself to the bone to take care of the girls.

Abigail knew he was having some money trouble. She'd seen the stack of bills on his desk…Knew about Rosie's medical condition…She couldn't imagine how hard that had to be on him.

The shrill ringing of the school bell pulled her from her musings. Searching through all of the kids that were exiting the school, Abigail caught sight of Emily at the same time the little girl saw her.

"Abigail!" Emily squealed, running down the school steps at full speed, an excited grin on her face.

"Hey cutie pie!" She smiled, bending down and scooping the six year old up in her arms. "How was school?" Abigail asked as she carried the girl over to the backdoor of her car, opening it and helping strap her into the seat as she excitedly recounted her day the whole way home.

…

"Hey, I'm getting ready to head out; I put the girls to bed already, so you can just relax for the rest of the night."

Abigail looked up from the pot she was scrubbing in the kitchen sink at Brendan's announcement, a piece of loose hair falling in her face. She was about to tuck it behind her ear with her soapy fingers when Brendan caught her wrist.

"Let me get it." He offered quietly, reaching his hand up and gently brushing his fingers along her cheekbone, sweeping the chunk of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her skin.

Bright blue eyes bored into hazel as he slowly moved closer, his tongue darting out to wet his lips as their faces drew closer and closer. Abigail felt her heart rate speed up as he took a step closer to her, his gaze never straying from hers as his head leaned in…

The moment was broken when the alarm on Brendan's watch sounded.

"Shit."

He dropped his hand from her face like he'd been burned and looked down at the watch on his wrist. "I have to go."

Abigail watched as he turned and left the kitchen, hearing the front door open and close moments later, leaving her standing in the kitchen alone, dazed and confused.

_What just happened?_

…

The next few days were spent awkwardly avoiding each other while both adults tried to work out their feelings. Personally, Abigail was still confused…

What would have happened if his alarm didn't go off? Would he have kissed her?…Did he want to kiss her?

Letting out a sigh, Abigail slipped down farther in the warm, soapy water that filled the bathtub.

It was all so confusing.

It surely didn't help, not one bit that they were avoiding each other…But, Abigail didn't know what to say to him. She liked Brendan, hell, she liked him a lot. But she had no clue how he felt about her…And, there was a lot to think about if she were to become involved with him, more than there would be with any other guy…

Rosie and Emily were everything to the man, and if they didn't want her to be with their Father, then she knew they would never get together…And, Abigail knew he wasn't over their mother. Not by a long shot.

Brendan hadn't told her about what happened to his wife, she found out when Emily had told her that her Mommy had gone to heaven to be with her other Grandma…It didn't bother Abigail that he hadn't told her. She knew it had to be hard for him to think about, much less talk about.

Abigail jumped when a knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts.

"Yeah?" She called, pushing her damp hair out of her face.

"Hey, uh, when you're done in there, can we talk?" Brendan hesitantly asked through the door, a hint nervousness in his voice.

"Um, yeah sure…Just, give me a few minutes."

Abigail's teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she listened to Brendan's footsteps when he walked down the hall. Her thoughts raced as she pulled the plug on the drain and stepped out of the tub, wrapping a towel around her nude body as she began the process of drying off.

Feeling a wave of nervousness wash over her, she finished getting dressed, tying her hair back into a ponytail as she opened the door and headed for the living room.

_**WARRIOR**_

Brendan paced back and forth as he waited for Abigail to finish in the bathroom.

He'd finally gotten up the courage to talk to her about what happened, or almost happened, the other day…

Everyday his developing feels for her grew, and he didn't know what to do about it other than tell her…But, in doing that, he knew he also had to tell her about his past, about Tommy, and Pop, his Mother…Tess…

The Irishman knew it was going to hurt bringing all of the stuff up, but, if he wanted any chance of having any kind of relationship with Abigail, he had to tell her.

Running his hand over his dark red hair, he blew a gust of air out of his lips, feeling a pang of nausea settle in the pit of his stomach as the minutes ticked by.

"You wanted to talk?" Abigail asked timidly as she walked into the room, taking a seat on the couch and drawing her legs up to her chest. Brendan swallowed hard against the lump in his throat, nodding his head as he took a seat next to her on the couch.

Licking his lips, he cleared his throat nervously as he tried to form the words to start what he knew would be a tough conversation.

"When I was kid, my dad used to get drunk and beat us…My Mother, me, my little brother…Whichever one of us happened to piss him off that night."

"Oh my god, Brendan…" She breathed, her legs dropping off of the edge of the couch as she moved closer to him.

"My mom…She used to try to protect us, but…I remember pushing my brother behind my back to save him from getting a punch in the face…Pop didn't care for that too much." He swallowed, leaning forward and putting his elbows on his knees, his hands hanging down between his legs as he recounted his childhood…The abuse…Meeting Tess…Staying instead of leaving with Tommy and his mom…

By the time he started talking about Tess, his voice had a thickness that no amount of throat clearing would get rid of. Abigail listened quietly the whole time, offering soft murmurs of comfort when she thought he needed them.

Placing his head in his hands, Brendan let out a sigh, massaging his temples with his fingertips, feeling a familiar sting in the back of his blue eyes. Blinking them, the Irishman swallowed against the lump forming in his throat, squeezing his lips together as a choked sob welled up inside of his chest.

"Oh, Bren…Come'ere." Abigail urged, tugging on his bicep until he turned towards her, pulling him close and wrapping her arms around him. "Shh…" She hushed him, running a hand through his hair and down to his back, rubbing comforting circles across his shoulder blades.

There, sitting on the couch in his living room, Brendan Conlon allowed himself to morn the loss of his wife for the first time in a long time.

_**WARRIOR**_

**Now, I'm usually not one to beg, but, I noticed all of the views I'm getting, yet, I only have a couple of reviews…So, please, please, please, please review! Or, Koba will show up at your door…I'd say Brendan or Tommy, but, I want to keep them for myself and my friends…If I feel like sharing ;) **

**Until next time! **

**~Dasiygirl95**


	4. First Dates

**Thank you to my besties, Mrs. JohnReese and Schuneko for the reviews. I love you ladies :)**

**And, once again, a special thanks for my beta/guru/bestie Schuneko. You're the best girl :)**

**Now, on to the chapter! Enjoy :D**

_**WARRIOR**_

_Love; it will not betray you_

_Dismay or enslave you, it will set you free_

_Be more like the man you were made to be_

_-Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons_

_**WARRIOR**_

It had been a couple of days since Abigail had learned about Brendan's past…

Abigail couldn't believe how much he had gone through in his life. It made her sick to her stomach to think that someone did that to him. No one deserved that, much less Brendan. He had told her about his younger brother, Tommy, and how he hadn't heard from him since he had left with his Mother to escape his Father. He told her how, even though he felt like he should, he didn't regret his decision to stay, because he got his two little girls, and if he didn't stay, he never would've had them, and he never would have gotten to have all of those years with Tess.

He was such a good man, even after the hell he'd been put through as a child, and as an adult.

One thing they didn't end up talking about, however, was the kiss they almost shared that day in the kitchen.

Abigail pictured over and over in her mind what it would have been like if that alarm didn't go off…Would his kisses be soft, or hard? Gentle, or filled with passion? Would his lips be soft, or rough? Would he pull her against his body and gently kiss her breath away, or would he pin her against the counter and ravish her?

Thoughts like that made her face flush and her heart rate speed up.

Letting out a huff, Abigail rolled over, kicking off the covers as she tried to get comfortable. It seemed like no matter what, she just couldn't find a suitable position to sleep in.

Running a hand through her long hair, she rolled out of the bed, growing tired of the useless attempts at falling asleep. Grabbing the worn, dark blue hoodie off the bottom of her bed, she slipped it over her head as she made her way to the door.

_Maybe watching TV will help me relax…_

Settling down on the couch, she turned the volume down low and turned the television to a marathon of Friends reruns.

…

Abigail was in the middle of the episode where Chandler moved in with Monica when the front door opened, the hinge's squeaking softly as it was pushed closed.

"Bren?" Abigail called softly, pressing the mute button on the TV remote as said man walked into the living room, dropping a black duffle bag on the floor by the couch.

"You're still up?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep." She replied, watching him as he stepped into the light illuminating from the TV. Abigail felt her mouth fall open when she saw his face. His bottom lip had a small split, and his left cheekbone was bruised and turning an ugly shade of purple. "Oh my god, Brendan! What happened to you?" She gasped out, getting up from the couch and stepping over to him, her hands going up to cup his jaw of their own accord.

"It's nothin'. A few frat boys got a little rowdy, I'm fine." He assured her, letting her turn his head from side to side as she inspected the damage in the soft glow of the TV.

"It doesn't look like nothin'…God, Brendan." She breathed, her fingers brushing along his cheek bone. "Does it hurt?" It_ looked_ like it hurt like hell.

"It's fine." He shrugged, his blue eyes searching her face. "Go on a date with me."

"What?" She asked; a hint of shock in her tone. Her thoughts raced as her mind tried to piece together the words to respond to him. _Did he really just ask what I think he did?_

"I really like you Abby…And, I'd really like it if you'd go out with me." He murmured; his hands coming up to rest on the sliver of bare skin from here her hoodie had ridden around her waist.

Abigail felt her heart skip a beat at his words. Partly at the little nickname that slipped from his lips; and partly because of that fact that he actually wanted to go out with her. Darting her tongue out to wet her lips, she smiled.

"I'd really like that."

"Yeah?" Brendan smiled, the glow of the TV dancing across his features, and his callused fingers slowly brushing back and forth against the smooth skin of her waist line.

"Yeah."

_**WARRIOR**_

Running a nervous hand over his hair, Brendan blew a gust of air out of his lungs, pacing back and forth in front of the couch. Abigail was in her room getting ready, and Emily and Rosie were at Tess's parent's house for a sleepover which they had planned a few days before.

Letting out a sigh, he sat down on the couch, putting his head in his hands. _Why are you so nervous?_ He asked himself as he jiggled his leg up and down nervously. _Probably has to do with the fact that you haven't been on a first date in god-knows how many years…_

God, he felt old.

Wiping his fingers over his face, the Irishman blew another breath out of his lips, pushing himself out of the chair to resume pacing. The soft clearing of a throat behind him caused him to whip around.

Abigail was standing in the entrance of the living room, nervously biting her lip. She looked absolutely beautiful in a purple tank top, and dark jeans that hugged her curves perfectly.

"I didn't know how dressed up to get." She stated; a twinge of nervousness in her tone. Brendan smiled, walking over to her and taking one of her hands.

"You look gorgeous." He assured her, raising her hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to the back of it, making her face flush. "You ready to go?"

"Yep." She replied, giving him a dazzling smile.

"Great, let's go." He said, letting go of her hand to press a hand to the small of her back, guiding her out of the house and to the car, holding the passenger door for her as she climbed in. Softly shutting the door behind her, he crossed around to the driver's side and got in, starting up the car and backing out of the drive way.

…

Once they got to the restaurant, Brendan rushed around the car to open the door for Abigail, offering her his arm after she climbed out.

"Thanks." She smiled, looping her arm through his and curling her hand around his bicep.

As he guided her to the entrance of the restaurant, he felt a pang of regret at the fact that he didn't have the money to take her somewhere nicer. She deserved better than the local Italian joint. She deserved roses, and fancy restaurants, and anything she could ever want.

A gentle squeeze on his arm brought him back to the present as a waitress guided them to a table.

"Wow. This place smells amazing." Abigail noted, beaming up at him when he pulled out a chair for her. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." He smiled, going around the other side of the table to sit down.

"So, what do you recommend?" Abigail asked, picking the menu a flipping through the laminated pages. Abigail looked at him over the edge of the menu, her eyes filled with concern when he didn't respond to her question. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin', it's nothin'…I just…I wish I could have taken you somewhere nicer." He shrugged, trying to keep self-pity out of his voice.

"Oh, Brendan." Abigail breathed, reaching her hand across the table and placing it on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I don't need fancy, expensive restaurants, ok? I don't care about any of that." She assured him, a smile breaking out across her face when he turned his hand over and laced their fingers together. "Ok?"

"Ok." He smiled, gently squeezing her fingers.

"Besides, this place smells delicious."

Brendan chuckled, brushing his thumb along the back of her knuckles as he picked up his menu. He couldn't believe the weight it took off of his shoulders to know that he hadn't completely screwed up the date by bringing her here. He knew she wasn't the kind of woman who cared about things like money, but he didn't want her to think he didn't care about their date by bringing her somewhere less-than five-star…Hell, this place probably wasn't even a three-star, but the food was amazing.

"So, I'm probably going to seem like a total pig, but, I think I'm going for the pasta combo platter…" Abigail decided, pursing her lips as she continued to read the menu.

"Sound's good…I think I'll go with the Chicken Parmesan." Brendan chuckled, waving the waitress over to put in their order.

_**WARRIOR**_

Once they had eaten, and Brendan paid the bill; after a minor disagreement over who was going to do so. He decided to take her to a movie.

They had went to see some slasher film that had Abigail clinging to Brendan's arm and hiding her face in his shoulder every few scenes, not that he seemed to mind, and something he had no problem teasing her about.

All too soon they were back in the car and headed home. They were having such a good time, and Abigail was reluctant for the night to come to an end. She didn't know when they'd get the chance to go out again…That's if Brendan wanted to go out with her again…She knew she wanted to go out with him again…

Abigail felt a small pang of sadness seep through her when Brendan pulled into the driveway. Brendan turned off the car and came around her side of the car to open her door, holding out his hand for her to take.

"I had a lot of fun tonight." He smiled as they walked into the house, closing the door behind them.

"So did I." She murmured; a beaming smile of her own stretching across her lips even as a light blush spread across her cheekbones.

"Come on, I'll walk you to your door." Brendan chuckled, brushing his callused thumb over the back of her knuckles, as he led her down the hall to her bedroom. "I had great time with you, Abby; I hope we can do it again sometime."

"I'd like that." She grinned, giving his hand a squeeze. Abigail felt her heart skip a beat when he took a step towards her and raised his hand to cup her cheek, his thumb running along her cheekbone.

Brendan's eyes searched hers for a moment before he leaned forward, his blue orbs slipping shut as he pressed his lips to hers.

Abigail sighed, her eyes also closing as her arms came up to wrap around his shoulders, one of her hands going to play with the short dark, red hairs at the back of his neck. His kisses were better than she imagined they would be…His lips were soft and insistent as they moved against hers, his tongue sweeping along the length of her bottom lip.

Letting out a murmur of contentment, Abigail parted her lips slightly, her arms tightening around his shoulders as he dragged her body against him, his fingers kneading her hips. A small whimper of protest bubbled up in her throat when Brendan ended the kiss, a huge grin on his face. Abigail smiled, her eyes slipping closed again when Brendan pressed his forehead to hers.

"So, I'll see ya in the mornin'?" He asked, his accent coming out thicker, making Abigail shiver lightly.

"Yeah, I'll see you in the morning." She replied, feeling her smile widen when he pressed another quick, deep kiss to her lips. Releasing her hips from his grasp, he took a step back, putting some distance between them, which Abigail was grateful for, otherwise she'd drag him in for another kiss, and they'd never finish saying goodnight.

"Goodnight Abby."

"Goodnight Bren." She murmured, biting her bottom lip as she opened her bedroom door and slipped inside, shutting it behind her. She pressed her back against it as she listened to Brendan's footsteps fade when he headed to his bedroom.

Lightly tracing her fingers over her lips, she still felt the ghost of his own against hers. Clamping her hand over her mouth, she attempted to muffle the squeal that was bubbling up in her throat.

_He kissed me!_ She squealed in her head, her grin widening, if that was even possible.

_**WARRIOR**_

**I hope you guys enjoyed it. :)**

**Now, I'd like to take a moment to discuss something with you guys…**

**While I absolutely **_**love **_**that you guys are reading (At lest, that's what I'm assuming is happening, since I keep getting views…) I'd really love it if you'd review and let me know what you think about the story!**

**If not, I will get my friend to send Bane to your doorstep; and he's very protective over us, so, he probably wouldn't be too happy ;) **

**Until next time**

**~Dasiygirl95**


	5. Getting Caught

**Thanks for the reviews, follows, and faves guys! They really mean a lot :)**

**Like always, shout out to my beta/guru/bestie Schuneko! Love ya girl! :D **

**And, a shout out to my other bestie Mrs. JohnReese! I love you too, but you know that ;)**

**Enjoy!**

_**WARRIOR**_

_And I'm in love and I'm terrified_

_For the first time and the last time_

_In my only life_

_-Terrified, Katherine McPhee ft. Zachary Levi_

_**WARRIOR**_

It had been a couple of days since their date, and Abigail was patently waiting outside of Emily's school, texting Jennifer as she waited for the bell to ring, so she could retrieve the little girl, and head home to Brendan; when a woman with orange-red hair approached her.

"Excuse me? Hi, I'm Julie's Mother, Carrie." The older woman introduced herself.

Abigail looked up from her phone, sending the woman a polite smile. "Abigail."

"I don't think I've seen you around before, who are you picking up?" She asked nosily.

"Oh, uh, Emily Conlon." Abigail smiled, her eyes flicking down to the screen of her phone as she finished typing, and pressed send on the text message she was sending to Jennifer; they were planning to meet up and take the girls to the pool that afternoon.

"Oh. I didn't realize Brendan was seeing anyone…Especially someone so…young." Carrie stated rudely, her eyes traveling down Abigail's form as she took in her worn t-shirt, faded cutoffs, and flip flops.

Abigail had to hold back a laugh when she realized that this was the woman that Emily had mentioned…The one that was interested in Brendan.

"I'm the nanny." Abigail deadpanned, unable to stop herself from rolling her eyes. What she had said was true; she was the nanny…But, she was also dating Brendan, though, the older woman didn't need to know that.

"Oh." The woman exclaimed, immediately brightening. "Well, tell Brendan I said hello, will you?" Carrie asked before tuning and walking away, throwing a cheery "Bye now!" over her shoulder as she walked away.

Abigail bunched her hands into fists by her side. There was no way she was going to tell Brendan 'Hello' for that witch. And Abigail certainly didn't care if the orange haired woman thought she was too young for him. It was none of her business what-so-ever. Besides, wasn't age just a number? Who cares if he's seven years older than her?

Abigail was brought back to reality when the school bell rang, and Emily ran over to her, launching herself at the brunette's legs as she automatically began chatting about her day.

…

"So…How's things?" Jennifer smirked, lifting up her sunglasses to waggle her eye brows at Abigail.

The brunette shot her friend a look before turning her gaze back to the pool, making sure the girls didn't stray out of the shallow end. Rosie looked adorable with her bright pink pool floaties wrapped around her arms; Emily looked equally adorable in her purple ones, as they both splashed around.

"Oh, come on Abs, you guys went on a date. Now give me the details!" Jennifer giggled, flipping her shades back down to cover her eyes.

Abigail shook her head, avoiding the question all together by calling to Emily when she got a little too close to the deeper end of the pool.

"So, besides the date, which you won't tell me about, how is everything going?" Jennifer asked after a few moments of silence.

Abigail smiled at the change of subject, taking her eyes off of the girls for a second to grin at the blond. "It's good. It's really good."

"Good. I'm glad. And the girls seem like such angles." Jennifer commented, her own gaze drifting to the pool to watch as the girls splashed each other.

"Abigail! Abigail! Come get in!" Emily squealed, getting out of the water and running over to tug on the brunette's hand.

"Please?!" Rosie begged, running up beside her sister and tugging on her other hand. Abigail turned to Jennifer, silently asking if she wanted to join them.

"Sure, let's go." Jennifer nodded, getting up and throwing her sunglasses on the chair she had been lounging in. Emily and Rosie shrieked with happiness, pulling Abigail out of her own chair and towards the pool.

_**WARRIOR**_

When Brendan got home from the high school that evening, Abigail and the girls were in the kitchen, mixing something with the hand mixer.

"What's going on in here?" He asked, walking into the kitchen. Emily looked up from where she was pouring a bag of chocolate drops into a bowl, a grin stretching across her lips when she saw him.

"Daddy!"

Brendan chuckled, bending down to scoop Rosie up, when she came running over to him and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Hey sweetie."

"Hi Daddy!" Emily waved, climbing down from the step stool she was standing on and coming over to him, wrapping her arms around his thighs and hugging him. Bending down, he scooped her up too, also kissing her cheek. "I missed you."

"I missed you too baby girl." He smiled, kissing both of them one more time before sitting them down. Wandering over to Abigail and looking over her shoulder, he let one of his hands slip down to rest on her hip; careful to make sure the girls didn't see. They had decided not to tell the girls until they were sure where their relationship was going to go somewhere. "What'ya makin'?" He asked, straining to get a look at the bowl.

"Chocolate chip cookies." She smiled, making sure the girls were out of their line of sight before turning around and planting a quick, chase kiss to his lips. "How was your day?" She asked, before facing the mixing bowl on the counter in front of her once again.

"It was good, how 'bout you? You guys have fun at the pool?" He inquired, dropping his hand from her waist and heading to the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

"Yeah, the pool was fun, the girls loved it." She said, grabbing a spoon and dropping globs of dough onto a cookie sheet.

"I have a few papers to grade; can you let me know when dinners done?" He asked, dipping his finger into the mixing bowl and sneaking a taste of the cookie dough.

"Yeah, of course. Hey! Get out of that!" She scolded, lightly smacking his arm with a giggle. Brendan chuckled, kissing her cheek before heading for the doorway.

"Come get me when dinners ready!" He called, grabbing his brief case and heading for his office.

…

They were curled up on the couch together later that night, after the girls had be put to bed, watching some cheesy made-for-tv movie.

"Oh, did I tell you?" Abigail suddenly asked, sitting up slightly and turning to face him. "I met your secret admirer today."

"What?" Brendan asked, confused, his eye brows rising.

"Yeah. Julie's Mom, Carrie, said to tell you 'Hello'." Abigail snorted, rolling her eyes as she leaned against his side. Smiling when his arm curled around her, pulling her closer.

"Ah, Julie's Mom…Isn't she the one that Emily overheard talking?" Brendan laughed, remembering the awkward conversation that happened at dinner last week.

"That's the one. God, you should've seen the look she gave me when she found out I was picking Emily up. I think I saw claws come out."

"She say somethin' to you?" He asked, leaning away from her slightly to look at her face.

"Just that she didn't think you'd go out with someone so young." She shrugged, leaning away from him to grab a cookie from the plate on the table before resting against his side again. "I don't care what she thinks. It's none of her business anyway." She said around a mouthful of the chocolate chip baked good.

Brendan smiled, kissing the side of her head as he pulled her closer to his side, burying his nose in her hair and breathing in the light, sweet scent of coconut that he found there.

He didn't care what people thought of his relationship with her either. Sure, he may have been older than her, but that didn't mean anything to him. She was perfect for him, smart, funny, caring, and loving for starters. More importantly, she was absolutely amazing with the girls and they loved her to death already.

And he…Well, Brendan was well on his way to loving her, himself.

_**WARRIOR**_

Abigail was woken in the middle of the night the next night to the sound of a soft knock on her bedroom door; Abigail knew it wasn't Brendan, because he left for work hours ago; and that only left the girls.

Throwing back the covers, Abigail made her way to the door, lifting her hand to cover her mouth as she yawned. She opened the door, revealing Emily and Rosie standing in the hallway, each holding one of the others hands.

"What are you guys doing up?"

Rosie whimpered and clutched her stuffed rabbit to her chest when a loud rumble of thunder filled the house.

"We're scared; can we sleep with you, please?" Emily pleaded with wide, glossy eyes; holding her worn teddy bear as close to her body as possible; flinching when another rumble of thunder sounded.

"Of course, come here." Abigail said softly, gently taking Emily's hand, scooping Rosie up into her arms, and leading them over to her bed. Setting them down, she climbed in the middle, letting both of the girls curl up against her sides; pulling the comforter over them, she wrapped her arms around them both, smiling when they snuggled closer to her.

Rosie whimpered when a flash of lighting lit up the room, turning to bury her face against Abigail's side.

"Abigail? Can you tell us a story?" Emily asked quietly, her face half hidden under the covers.

"Sure." Abigail agreed, taking a moment to think before proceeding to tell them a fairytale about princes and princesses until they fell asleep. Abigail smiled, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads. She made sure they were both covered with the comforter before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

…

When Abigail woke in the morning, Emily was half lying on top of her and Rosie was pressed as close as she could get with her stuffed rabbit squashed in between them. Smiling softly, she gently kissed Emily's forehead before easing her to the other side of the bed. Now focusing her attention on Rosie, she gently rolled the little girl onto her back, being careful not to wake her before slipping out of the bed and covering them back up.

Tip-toeing over to the door, she silently slipped out of the room, leaving a crack in the door so she could hear the girls if they called for her.

Walking into the kitchen, Abigail spotted Brendan standing at the stove, flipping an omelet.

"Hey." She smiled, stepping further in and leaning her hip against the counter. Brendan looked up from the frying pan, sending her a soft smile.

"Hey."

"How was work?" She asked, moving closer to him.

"It was ok. I missed you guys though." He replied, moving the pan off of the burner before turning to face her, reaching out and drawing her to him by the hips.

"We missed you too." She smiled, curling her arms around his neck, letting her eyes slip shut as he leaned towards her; gently brushing his lips against hers.

It was amazing how, even after the few dozen kisses they'd shared, the feeling of his soft lips sliding against hers was all it took to make her heart race.

Letting out a sigh, Abigail parted her lips slightly, tilting her head to the side a little and deepening the kiss. Brendan's hands tightened around her hips briefly as he slid his tongue into her mouth, gently caressing her tongue with his. Abigail moaned softly, one of her hands delving into the dark red hair at the back of his head, holding him impossibly closer; Brendan freed a hand to do the same to her.

Things probably would have gotten a little heated if it wasn't for the loud squeal followed by an "Ew!" that sounded behind them.

Pulling away from Brendan, Abigail spotted Emily and Rosie standing by the entrance to the kitchen. She instantly felt her heart drop to her stomach.

She was afraid of what the girls thought of her now…Did they still like her, or would they want nothing to do with her now that they saw her kissing their Father?

Nervously looking at Brendan, Abigail's teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she brought her hands in front of her and wrung them together. Rosie was the first one to break the silence that filled the kitchen.

"Daddy, why were you kissing Abigail?"

Brendan licked his lips before walking over and kneeling down in front of them. He placed one of his hands on each of their shoulders and looked them in the eye.

"Girls…" He trailed off, letting out a sigh as he tried to work out what to say in his head. Instead of making a big speech, which he knew they probably wouldn't understand half of, he asked a question. "Is it ok that I kissed Abigail?"

Abigail held her breath as silence, once again, filled the kitchen. It was so quiet that she swore you could hear a pin drop.

Rosie, once again, with the first one to speak; a grin forming on her face as she chirped out a…

"Sure! Can I have a kiss too Daddy?"

Brendan laughed, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her cheek. Emily asked if she could also have one, which Brendan happily granted, leaning over and kissing her on the cheek as well.

"How about you Emily?...Is it ok if I kiss your Dad?" Abigail asked, biting her lip again as she took a few steps over to them, nervously tugging at the hem line of her t-shirt. Emily nodded, giving Abigail a smile.

Abigail felt relief fill her body, and slowly let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Kneeling down next to Brendan, Abigail gave both of the girls a wide smile, pressing a kiss to each of their cheeks

Abigail was so thankful that they both seemed to accept her relationship with their Father.

_But, what about everyone else?..._

_**WARRIOR**_

**I hope you all enjoyed! :D **

**I'd love it if you'd leave me your thoughts in a review or PM! :)**

**Until next time!**

**~Dasiygirl95**


	6. Slumberparties And A Surprise Dinner

**Hey guys and girls! Thank you to all who reviewed/followed/faved! It means a lot. :)**

**Thanks to my girls Schuneko, Mrs. JohnReese, and CaileeChaos for reading and reviewing, and for just being generally awesome all around ;)**

**Special thanks to my Beta/Guru Schuneko. Seriously, love ya girl :)**

**Also, sorry for the wait on this chapter…I was in a bit of a funk for awhile…I'm still not sure I'm completely over it yet, but, I think I'm getting there. :D**

**So, without farther ado, enjoy :)**

_**WARRIOR**_

_So lately, been wondering_

_Who will be there to take my place_

_When I'm gone, you'll need love_

_To light the shadows on your face_

_If a great wave shall fall_

_It'd fall upon us all_

_And between the sand and stone_

_Could you make it on your own?_

_-Wherever You Will Go, The Calling_

_**WARRIOR**_

"Bye Daddy!" Emily waved with her free hand, the other holding her little sisters. The girls were going to sleepover at the older girl's friend, Stephanie's, house. Said friend had been kind enough to invite Rosie to come along.

"You girls be good, ok?" Brendan said, bending down in front of them and pulling them each into a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."

After kissing them on both cheeks, he made his way back outside and got into his car. Abigail was out with her friend for the afternoon, and he wanted to have dinner ready for her before she got home. It's the first night they were going to have completely to themselves since their date a week before and he wanted to make it special for her.

…

After arriving back home, Brendan headed straight for the kitchen to get started on dinner. He wanted to make something that would impress her, so he had went to the store before coming home and picked up all of the ingredients to make homemade chicken and broccoli alfredo. He also picked up some chocolate ice cream for desert. Because, well, who didn't love chocolate?

…

The pasta was boiling in a pot on the stove, and Brendan was just about done with the sauce when he heard the front door open and Abigail's voice drift through the house as she announced that she was home.

A smile spread across his lips when he looked over his shoulder and saw her entering the room.

"Hey." She greeted, dropping her purse onto the kitchen table and making her way over to him, a small smile playing on her lips.

Brendan tossed the dishtowel he held in his hand onto the counter and turned. Reaching out to clasp her hips in his hands; he drew her body to his as he ducked his head and caught her lips in a sweet kiss.

Abigail sighed happily, one of her hands coming up to run through his dark red hair as she curled her arms around his shoulders. A soft chuckle slipped past his lips when he pulled away and caught sight of the pout forming on her lips. She was about to pull him down for another kiss when the smell of the cooking food caught her attention.

"What are you making? It smells amazing." She inquired, looking over Brendan's shoulder at the pots on the stovetop. She let out a squeal of surprise when his hand came up to cover her eyes, spinning her around so her back was pressed against his chest.

"It's a surprise." Brendan whispered in her ear, grinning when he felt the small shiver that went through her as he guided her out of the kitchen and into the living room. Sitting her down on the couch, he removed his hand from her eyes and handed her the TV remote. "Relax, watch some TV, I'll come get you once dinner's done." He said, pressing a kiss to her forehead and heading back to the kitchen before she could even say a word.

_**WARRIOR**_

Abigail mindlessly flipped through the channels, trying to resist the urge to sneak into the kitchen to see what Brendan was up to. She thought it was really sweet that he wanted to surprise her with dinner, but he worked so hard all day and night; he shouldn't have to come home and cook for her.

Settling on a rerun of some show she'd never heard of, she let the remote drop onto the couch cushion beside her as her gaze slowly drifted from the TV to the doorway of the kitchen.

"Bren? Are you _sure_ you don't want me to help?"

"Nope! I got it, you just relax!" His cheerful reply was followed by the clank of a lid being placed on a pot.

"Are you _sure_?" She asked again. She could hear Brendan's amused laugh as he moved around in the kitchen, possibly moving a pot off of the stove from the sound of it.

"Abby, sweetheart, I got it. I promise. Just relax."

Abigail sighed, laying her head back to rest against the back of the couch, her eyes imagining patterns on the plan white ceiling. It was so weird without the girls around. It was quiet…almost eerily so.

The brunette had gotten used to hearing the noise of two little girls running around the house. She could even pick out the difference in Emily and Rosie's voice from across the house. Always knowing which one was calling for her without having to guess.

Despite how she seemed when Abigail first met her, Emily was the louder of the two girls. Her voice was always filled with enthusiasm and excitement, she could chatter on about anything that caught her interest for hours.

Rosie was slightly quieter, though no less excited or enthusiastic than her older counterpart. Somehow the younger girl seemed to have more energy than her sister. Sometimes it would take a lot to tire her out enough for bed at night.

"Abigail?"

She lifted her head from the back of the couch and smiled when she saw Brendan making his way over to her.

"Dinner's ready." He smiled, reaching out and clasping one of her hands in his own and hauling her to her feet. "Close your eyes." Brendan instructed, turning her back to his chest and covering her eyes with his hand.

"Brendan! What are you doing?" She giggled, grabbing a hold of his forearm as he guided her to the kitchen.

"It's a surprise, remember?" He chuckled, his breath fanning across the flesh of her neck, causing her to shiver. Abigail inhaled deeply and the smell of whatever Brendan made hit her senses. It smelled absolutely delicious.

Abigail giggled again when Brendan accidentally bumped her into the kitchen counter as he guided her to the table, and down into a chair.

"Ok, one…two…three."

A soft gasp rushed past her lips as she took it all in. The table had been set and the food dished out onto two plates. Chicken broccoli alfredo from the looks of it, her favorite. There were even candles burning in the middle of the table.

"Oh Brendan…You didn't have to do all of this for me." Abigail breathed, swallowing against the lump that formed in the back of her throat. This was the sweetest thing she'd ever had a man do for her...

"I wanted too." Brendan insisted, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her lips. Walking around the kitchen counter, he grabbed the bottle of sparkling cider he had chilling in the fridge and poured two glasses.

"Thank you." She smiled, taking the glass from him when he brought them to the table. "This looks delicious."

"Let's hope it tastes as good as it looks." He chuckled, sitting down in the chair adjacent from her. Abigail giggled, taking a sip of the cider before setting the glass down and picking up her fork. She stabbed a good portion of pasta, sauce, and broccoli, raising it to her mouth.

_**WARRIOR**_

"Ready?" Abigail asked, pausing with the fork hovering inches from her parted lips. Brendan nodded, taking his own forkful of pasta and bringing it to his mouth. He held his breath in anticipation as he watched her slide the fork between her lips, watching as her eyes slipped closed as she chewed.

Brendan swallowed hard when a soft moan escaped her lips, shifting in his seat as he felt his pants tighten uncomfortably; his forkful of pasta hovering forgotten in front of his mouth.

Abigail opened her eyes as she swallowed the bite of food in her mouth, raising an eye brow when she saw Brendan watching her. He felt the back of his neck flush and quickly looked down, sticking the forkful of pasta into his mouth and chewing.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no. Nothing's wrong." He insisted, swallowing his bite of food and grabbing his glass of cider, downing half of it in one sip.

"Then…why were you watching me eat?" Abigail asked; a hint of amusement in her voice as she resisted the urge to laugh.

The Irishman felt the flush on his neck spread to his cheekbones as he reached back and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "It's just…uh…been a long time since I've seen a woman actually eat."

_And I've never seen a woman enjoy it as much you… _he added silently, mentally kicking himself in the ass when his mind chose that moment to replay her moan, forcing him to remember his…situation.

"Oh." She murmured quietly, drawling her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbling on it slightly as she swirled her fork around in her pasta.

"It-it's not a bad thing!" Brendan stammered quickly, feeling his face burn anew when she raised her eye brows at him again. "It's nice, actually, to see you eat. Because, uh, m-most women don't eat much, and-"

His sad attempt at saving himself from farther embarrassment was cut off by the sound of Abigail's laughter.

God she has a beautiful laugh…

"Oh Brendan, trust me, if you saw how much I actually eat, you'd get tired of seeing it." She laughed, taking another bite of her pasta; thoroughly chewing and swallowing before speaking again. "This is delicious by the way."

"Thank you." He smiled.

…

Abigail giggled as Brendan kissed down the side of her neck; moaning softly when he nibbled her earlobe. Brendan groaned quietly, shifting closer to her and kissing his way down to her shoulder. Stopping momentarily he pulled the strap of her tank-top down so his lips could touch her skin.

After dinner, they had moved to the couch to watch a movie, but when Abigail curled up against his side, Brendan found it rather hard to concentrate on it. He found himself longing to feel her skin under his lips…

Which lead to him doing just that.

"Brendan." Abigail murmured, threading one of her hands in his hair and tugging him into a kiss. Sliding her tongue along his bottom lip; causing him to moan at the sensation.

He ran one of his hands up her outer thigh to her hip, tugging her closer so she was pressed against his chest. His other hand went to cradle the back of her head as he deepened the kiss. He slipped his tongue past the seal of her lips to caress hers.

Abigail ran her fingers through his dark red hair, curling her arm around his shoulders to pull him with her as she shifted to lie on the couch. Her legs came up to frame his hips as he settled between them.

Tearing his lips away from hers, Brendan kissed his way down her neck again. He only stopped to nip at her collarbone, soothing the nips with little swipes of his tongue.

"What…happened to…watching a movie?" Abigail panted, giggling lightly as he nipped her collarbone once more. He chuckled, pulling away to press another kiss to her lips, resting his weight on his forearms on either side of her head.

Brendan felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked down at her lying beneath him. Her cheeks were flushed dark pink; her lips were dark and slightly swollen and stretched into a soft smile. She was absolutely beautiful.

Tilting his face down, his brushed their lips together in a ghost of a kiss, feeling her smile widen against his. Increasing the pressure of his mouth on hers, Brendan slid his hand up from her hip to her side. His thumb brushed against the under-wire of her bra.

Abigail moaned softly, tugging on his hair gently as she deepened the kiss. Her mouth opened under his ministrations and let his tongue into her mouth. Brendan groaned deep in his chest as her tongue slid across his own in a battle of dominance.

Brendan knew that they needed to stop…That now definitely wasn't the time, or the place, for anything other than a little, ok, a lot of kissing…If he didn't stop it now, he didn't think he'd have the power to do it if things went any farther.

Forcing his lips away from hers, Brendan dropped his forehead to rest against her shoulder. He panted for air. Pulling back to look her in the eyes, Brendan swallowed nervously. "Abigail…God…We gotta stop…This…God, I _want_ too, but it's not the right time."

"Brendan, it's okay. I understand." Abigail smiled, lightly scratching her fingernails down the back of his scalp before bringing both of her hands up to cup his face and pulling him into a short, sweet kiss.

_**WARRIOR**_

**Hope you guys like this chapter! I'd love it if you'd type your thoughts and feelings about this chapter in a review! Those things are addicting to me. :)**

**Until next time!**

**~Dasiygirl95**


	7. Not Bouncing

**Welcome back boys and girls! **

**Thanks to Mrs. JohnReese and Schuneko for the reviews. And to Schuneko, for the beta. Love ya gals! :)**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. We're finally starting to get into the movie plot, which I'm very excited about, because it gives me a ton of stuff to work with…And fitting Abigail into the movie is going to be so fun! :D**

**Enjoy :)**

_**WARRIOR**_

_Don't you see?_

_You can try to fight it_

_But it's meant to be_

_You and me_

_Baby please_

_Don't believe_

_Anything they tell you_

_Right here_

_I swear_

_This is where you're meant to be_

_-Meant To Be, Parachute_

_**WARRIOR**_

"Listen kiddo, I'm gonna need you to put Abby back on, ok? I love you." Brendan said softly into the phone as he pulled into the brightly lit parking lot, blue eyes scoping out a parking space as he resisted the urge to let his gaze drift to the tent set up behind the strip club.

There was a small tournament going on. Winner would take home Five Hundred Dollars...

Was it really worth the risk of getting the ever loving _shit_ beat out of him? But oh man, Five Hundred bucks!

Was it worth lying to Abigail about what he was really doing? He was supposed to be pulling a night shift at the club as a bouncer…

No. It probably wasn't. But, he needed the money. _God_, he needed the money…

After his meeting with the bank…After finding out that he could lose the house…The house that he and Tess has worked so hard to achieve for their family…Emily and Rosie's home…_His home_…Brendan was more determined than ever to find some way to pay the bills.

And if this was the only way to do it, then this was what he was going to do…Even if it killed him.

"_Hello?_"

The sound of Abigail's voice drifting through the phone brought a smile to his face. It'd been about two months since she'd moved in, about three weeks since Brendan had asked her out for the first time and everything was going great.

Brendan could feel himself falling for her more and more every day. And that scared him a little bit…It had been so long since he'd done the whole dating scene and sometimes he wasn't sure if he was doing things right or not, but he was happy…Abigail was happy. The girls were happy…_They_ were all happy and that was all that mattered, right?

"Hey, I'm just pulling in." He remarked, guiding his car into the open parking space.

"_Ok. What's going on there tonight? Anything exciting?_" She inquired. Brendan could hear her talking to one of the girls in the background, most likely Rosie; sometimes it was difficult to get her to bed.

"They've got this open mic night thing. Should be a quiet one." He commented, putting the car in park and turning off the ignition.

"_Alright, well, I better get the girls to bed…Rosie's starting to get fussy. Be careful tonight._"

"I will. Sleep well. Bye."

Letting out a sigh, he ended the call; feeling a sense of regret wash over him because of the lies he just told…If Abigail found out what he was really doing….Why he was doing it? Would she forgive him for lying to her?

Freeing the car keys from the ignition, Brendan grabbed his black duffle bag from the passenger's seat. He threw it over his shoulder once he had climbed out of the car. Sucking in a deep breath, he began walking toward the brightly lit tent. The roar of the crowd filled his ears as he approached the entrance.

Upon entering, his gaze landed on the ring and the two men fighting inside if it. Sweat pouring down their bodies as one of the men beat the other senseless. Blowing his breath out of his lungs, Brendan made his way over to the Referee to inform him of his arrival…

…

"And in the blue corner! He fights out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Please welcome "Irish" Brendan Conlon!"

The crowd roared, calls of 'Boo' mingling with cheers of encouragement. Filling the cold night air as adrenaline started pumping through his veins. Brendan bounced on the balls of his feet, rolling the muscles in his neck and shoulders as he mentally prepared himself for what was about to come.

He'd win, or he'd lose…Either way he wasn't going to come out of this completely unscathed. Hopefully any bruising would be in a place he could hide, or write off to Abigail. Anyone else who asked, it was a tussle in the bar with a rowdy drunk.

"Fighters to the center!" The Referee called, waving Brendan and his opponent forward. "I want you to obey my commands at all times. I want you to protect yourselves at all times." He explained. "If you have no questions, touch gloves, back up, and wait for my signal. Let's come out fighting!"

The two men retreated to their corners. Each of them anxiously waiting for the Ref to give the signal that would start the fight. Brendan blew out a breath between clenched teeth, shadow boxing with the air to loosen out the muscles in his arms.

"Fighters, are you ready?!" The Ref called, watching as each man nodded before exclaiming "Let's do it!"

Brendan came out of his corner with his hands up, jumping out of the way when his opponent took a wild swing at his midsection. They danced around each other for a few minutes, before Brendan went in for a punch. The other man dodged out of the way; landing a hit to the side of the Irishman's head, causing him to stumble back into the ropes.

Brendan blinked, feeling his head swim as he tried to push back the pain from the hit. He took a few blows to the midsection before lunging at the other man. This made him succeed only in having to fight the urge to growl when he was thrown to the mat.

Rolling himself back to his feet, Brendan dodged out of the way just in time to miss a kick to the face. He got backed into the ropes, throwing his hands up to protect himself as his opponent lands a few swings to his upper body.

Waiting for his chance, Brendan threw a punch, connecting with the other man's jaw and knocking him back a few steps. Then he ducked out of the way as his opponent took a swing at him.

The bearded man lunged at Brendan, receiving a knee to the abdomen as the Irishman tried to hold him off. The man growled in frustration, pulling back his arm and throwing blow after blow to Brendan's whole right side. It dazed the Irishman long enough for him to escape his hold and land another hit to Brendan's upper body.

Brendan landed a few hits of his own, using his momentum to escape from his position against the ropes. The other man stumbled after him, his fists raised in front of his face in a defensive stance as he threw another punch. It hit nothing but air as the Irishman backed away.

His opponent was getting fatigued, his movements were becoming sloppy and sluggish, Brendan saw his opportunity…

He ducked to avoid a blow to the head. This was his opening; connecting a punch to the other man's midsection. Brendan threw blow after blow, landing a powerful uppercut to the man's jaw that caused him to stubble back.

The Irishman seized his chance, lunging forward and picking the other man up with a grunt; throwing him down onto the mat with a hard thump. Landing a blow to the back of his head, Brendan flipped him over onto his back; straddling his midsection and raining down shot after shot to his face.

He doesn't stop until the Referee pulls him off.

Panting with exertion, Brendan slowly made his way over to his corner, reaching up to touch his upper lip. Looking down, he examined the small amount of blood on his fingertip.

_Great, Abigail's definitely gonna notice that..._

"Hey, kid, nice fight. Two more wins and you take home to bacon." A ring promoter informed him, giving him a pat on the shoulder before walking off.

Brendan pulled the guard out of his mouth, grabbing the bottle of water the ring assistant held out to him, and taking a sip. Handing it back, he turned and rested his arms on the ropes, hanging his head down between them as he panted for air. The adrenaline coursing through his veins stopping him from feeling the pain of the hits he had taken during the fight.

Two more fights and he'd have the money…

_God, can I last two more fights?..._

_**WARRIOR **_

Abigail was woken early the next morning by footsteps passing by her door, which was slightly ajar in case in the girls needed her during the night. She knew by how heavy the footsteps sounded that it had to be Brendan returning from work.

Throwing off the covers, she grabbed her hoodie off the bottom of her bed, slipping it on over her tanktop and sleep pants; covering her mouth hand her hand as a yawn slipped past her lips.

Exiting her room, Abigail made her way down the hallway towards Brendan's room, stopping to knock on the door lightly as she made her way inside. She caught site of Brendan sitting, shirtless, on the edge of the bathtub through the open door, untying his shoes.

"Hey Bren, how was work?" She asked; her voice still thick with sleep. Brendan didn't answer, still focused on the task of removing his shoes. Reaching up and rubbing one of her eyes, she made her way into the bathroom; a sharp gasp escaping her when Brendan looked up at her, an almost sheepish expression on his bruised and battered face. "Oh my god, Brendan. What _happened_?! You said it was going to be a slow night."

Kneeling down in front of him, she gently took his face in her hands; turning his face toward the ray of sunlight streaming in through the window above the bathtub. He had a cut across his left cheekbone and his right eye were swollen and badly bruised; along with a small split on his upper lip.

"I'm not bouncing at a club." He admitted, gently removing his face from her hands and ducking his head.

"What…What do you mean you're not bouncing?" She asked, dropping her hands to her lap, her hazel eyes searching his face. Brendan sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small wad of bills. Abigail looked from the money, to his face, and back again. "You've been lying to me?" She whispered, reaching behind her to close the lid on the toilet, and guiding herself to sit on it; putting some distance between them.

"I went into apply, they were payin' nine bucks an hour…Then I saw a sign for this other thing…" He explained, looking down at his hands.

"What other thing? A boxing match or something?" She asked; a biting tone in her voice.

"UFC." He corrected softly.

"Oh, because that's so much better?" Abigail snorted, crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head at him. She was mad…What made him think it was a good idea to lie to her about this? He could have just told her the truth. "So, the other week, that wasn't Frats boys, was it?"

Brendan shook his head, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. Abigail scoffed, resisting the urge to get up and stomp out of the bathroom like a child.

"They're putting us out of the house in three months…I'm running out of options…" He sighed, looking up at her with tired eyes.

As soon as Abigail heard the words come out of his mouth, she instantly deflated. She knew he was having money trouble, but she didn't know it was _this_ bad…

"You could have _told me_, Bren." She breathed, reaching out to take his free hand in her own and giving it a gentle squeeze. "God, I can help. I've got money."

"No. No, I'm not takin' your money Abby, you _earned_ that money." He said, shaking his head when she opened her mouth to speak. "_No_."

Abigail sighed in frustration. "You're so stubborn, you know that?"

"I've been told." He said, giving her a half smile. She sighed again, running the pad of her thumb across the back of his knuckles on his right hand; they were an angry shade of red and slightly swollen.

Abigail raked her teeth across her bottom lip, looking up at him from under her lashes. "Promise me you won't lie to me anymore."

"Abigail-"

"_Promise me_, Brendan." She urged; a pleading tone in her voice as her grip on his hand tightened briefly.

"Hey, hey." He murmured, cupping her face in his other hand; trailing his thumb across her cheekbone as tears formed in her eyes. "I promise. Alright?"

She nodded, swallowing against the sudden lump that had formed in the back of her throat. Abigail was worried about him…If Brendan intended to keep doing theses UFC fights to make money, she wasn't going to support it…There was no way she was just going to sit by, and let him get the shit beat out of himself for five hundred bucks a fight.

There had to be some other way to save the house.

"We'll figure this out. But I am not letting you do this anymore."

"Abby, I have to do somethin' I can't just sit by and let them take my home away from me." Brendan argued; his voice soft as he wiped away another tear that had rolled down her cheek.

"And I'm not going to sit by and let you get beat up for a living Brendan." She stated; her voice shaking slightly as she reached up to cup his face, careful of the cut along his cheekbone. "I care about you, Brendan, a lot."

"I care about you too Abby, probably more than I should." He murmured, shifting closer to her and leaning forward to brush his lips against hers. Abigail sighed, pulling back to look him in the eyes.

"We'll figure it out. But I'm not letting you do this again, I can't." She whispered, kissing him again before dropping her hand from his face and standing up. "I'm gonna go get some ice for your eye…We need to clean that cut too…" She said, heading out of the bathroom to go to the kitchen.

Abigail let out a sigh, resting her forehead against the cool door of the refrigerator, trying to work through all of the emotions flowing through her…She was upset that Brendan had lied to her about the fighting…And the fact that he hadn't told her how bad his money trouble was. She would have helped him if he had just told her the truth instead of trying to hide it.

Abigail understood why he did it, the fighting, but that didn't mean she liked it. If letting him do these fights meant he was going to come home to her all bruised and beat up. Then she was going to do everything in her power to find another way for him to make the money he needed. Because seeing him like that tore her apart inside.

She knew it was probably way too fast, they'd only been dating for a couple of weeks, but she found herself falling in love Brendan.

Which was probably crazy…He was seven years older than her, with two beautiful little girls…And a lot of people would probably judge their relationship because of that.

But Abigail didn't care about any of it. Age was just a number to her, and she loved those little girls as much as she loved their Father.

Lifting her head from the door, she opened up the freezer; looking for an ice pack to take back to Brendan. She couldn't find one and she knew from personal experience that wrapping ice cubes in a towel wasn't very comfortable, so she settled for a bag of frozen peas.

Making her way back to Brendan's room, she walked right in and headed for the bathroom.

Brendan was standing in front of the sink checking out the damage done to his face in the mirror, his blue eyes flickering to her own, reflected in the surface as she walked up behind him.

"Sit down, let me clean that cut." She murmured softly, guiding him to sit on the closed lid of the toilet. She grabbed the first-aid kit from the cabinet above his head and sitting it on the lip of the bathtub.

Popping open the plastic case, she grabbed a small bottle of peroxide and a cotton ball; using it to soak up a decent amount of the liquid before bring it closer to the cut of Brendan's cheekbone.

"This is going to sting." She warned, her hazel eyes apologetic as she gently dabbed at the cut. Brendan hissed, resisting the urge to flinch away as the liquid seeped into the wound. "Sorry." She murmured, removing the cotton ball and blowing on the wound, trying to relive the stinging sensation.

"Abigail…" Brendan started, placing his hand over the one cupping his jaw and leaning his face into her palm, looking into her eyes. She stopped the task of bandaging his cheekbone, feeling all of the air leave her lungs as his blue eyes bore into her own. "Thank you." He finished softly.

"You're welcome." Abigail smiled, leaning down and pressing her lips to his briefly, before pulling back and continuing her task of patching him up.

Abigail didn't know how, but she knew they would find the money to keep the house, one way or another. They would be ok.

_**WARRIOR**_

**I hope you all enjoyed! What'dya think of the fight scene? Was it ok? All I know about MMA/UFC is from what I've seen on **_**Ultimate Fighter**_** (My dad likes to watch it…And I've gotten roped into a few episodes before), and in the wonderful movie **_**Warrior**_**. So, I hope it was okay!**

**I'd love it if you'd leave your thoughts in a review, they make my day :)**

**Until next time **

**~Dasiygirl95 **


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